COVID-19 safety protocol defiance increase in Accra …some residents make excuse for non-adherence

Despite the rise in the country’s COVID-19 cases, a huge number of Ghanaians continue to disregard the disease’s safety precautions.

Even in public transports, at market centres, churches, schools, workplaces and other social centres, people are rarely seen in their nose masks, sanitising, social distancing and washing their hands with soap under running water.

The Christmas and New Year festivities made this clearer as people were seen totally disregarding the protocol anywhere they found themselves in the public domain.

The Ghanaian Times observed at places including Kaneshie, Circle, Accra Central Business District (CBD), and Madina-Adenta that people’s disregard to the safety protocols was highly condemnable as this attitude could be blamed for the recent increment in COVID-19 cases across the country, particularly in Accra.

Ghana has recorded 508 new cases of the coronavirus disease, shooting up the country’s confirmed cases to 153,154 as at last Monday.

The country currently has 9, 020 active cases while 1,343 people have died from the disease.

Meanwhile, some people the Ghanaian Times spoke with attributed their disregard to the difficulties they claimed they experienced when they wore the nose masks.

Others vehemently rejected the advent of the disease in the country saying “there is no such thing as Coronavirus so leave us to live freely.”

A commuter at Kaneshie who gave his name as Mohammed Adams stressed that he took herbal medicines for which reason he saw no need to observe the safety precautions.

Answering to being vaccinated or not, Mr Adams said the whole process was for some political gains by the government and should not be patronised by Ghanaians.

A phone accessories dealer at Madina-Adenta, Akua Obiri said she was familiar with the people around her.

Although she said she had heard of numerous public announcements on the disease, Ms Obiri stressed that she believed all the people known to her were safe.

Adding that, “I have gone for the jab so there is no need to observe any other protocol.”

Some drivers at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange said they could not wear the nose masks because they experienced breathing difficulties whenever they wore them.

Pertaining the use of sanitisers and the washing of hands, they said they could not do any of those because of the nature of their work.

Kojo Frimpong, a driver at the Odawna Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), said he was always fit and would remain so because of his usual home remedies including herbal steaming inhalations.

A trader, Sonia Atcher, said the place was hot because of the vast number of people that visited the place, hence the wearing of the nose masks heightened their plights.

Commuters in vehicles at the market said they were not in the masks because they would have no conversations with anyone.

BY ABIGAIL ARTHUR